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GEN 71M

1991 Mercedes-benz 420

Brown Petrol 4196cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires14 Dec 2025
Tests15 (10 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

170,642 mi
Last recorded170,642 miles
Recorded on18 Dec 2025
Typical for 1991 Mercedes-benz 420125,557 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Mercedes-benz
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationGEN 71M
MakeMercedes-benz
Model420
Year1991
ColourBrown
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,196cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

10 pass 5 fail
Fail 18 Dec 2025 170,642 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension pipe leaking (5.3.5 (c))

Nearside Front Suspension rod ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension rod ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Nearside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel Steering idler (2.3 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 3 Dec 2024 168,241 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 12 Dec 2023 167,421 miles
Pass 12 Dec 2022 163,864 miles
Pass 15 Dec 2021 161,336 miles
Fail 14 Dec 2021 161,336 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 15 Dec 2020 156,695 miles

Central Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play left side (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Front front tyres wearing inside edges

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Fail 10 Nov 2020 156,693 miles

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Central Front Drag link end ball joint has slight play left side joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

front wheel bearings not tested due to brake bind

Pass 4 Jan 2017 150,994 miles
Fail 4 Jan 2017 150,994 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 14 Dec 2015 147,164 miles

Fuel cap seal has slight deteriation

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Suspension pipes have corosion

Pass 17 Sep 2008 143,774 miles
Pass 25 Jan 2008 140,655 miles

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Nearside front tyre has a cut in the sidewall less than 25mm

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Strong advise on all fluid suspension pipes very corroded

Strong advise on all fuel pipes very corroded

Fail 23 Jan 2008 140,655 miles

Nearside Front An item not tested (Manual)

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Front Track rod end loose (2.2.B.1d)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1) DANGEROUS

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Nearside front tyre has a cut in the sidewall less than 25mm

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Strong advise on all fluid suspension pipes very corroded

Strong advise on all fuel pipes very corroded

Pass 14 Mar 2006 137,053 miles

How Reliable is the Mercedes-benz 420?

Based on 24,311 MOT tests across 2,343 vehicles.

75.7%
Pass Rate
809
Miles/Year
40
Year Lifespan
2,343
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 647
Brake pipe excessively corroded 577
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 565
brake binding 530
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 479
Full Mercedes-benz 420 reliability report

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GEN 71M is a 1991 Mercedes-benz 420 in Brown with a 4,196cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 15 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1991 Mercedes-benz 420 models, the average MOT pass rate is 74.2% with a typical mileage of 125,557 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Mercedes-benz 420 fails its MOT is suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 647 recorded failures. If you're considering buying GEN 71M, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Mercedes-benz 420 typically stays on UK roads for around 40 years. At 35 years old, this Mercedes-benz 420 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of GEN 71M?

You can check the full history of GEN 71M by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was GEN 71M registered?

GEN 71M is a 1991 Mercedes-benz 420, first registered on 1 August 1991.

Is GEN 71M safe to buy?

The MOT history for GEN 71M shows 15 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does GEN 71M have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on GEN 71M. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.